Washington D.C., Nov 8, 2016 / 19:35 pm
A new action agenda from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has drawn praise from the U.S. bishops as a step towards the "integral ecology" taught in Pope Francis' encyclical on creation.
"The concern for the good of people, especially the poor and vulnerable communities, is one of the central messages in Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment," said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
"We welcome efforts by the EPA that recognize what the Pope calls 'integral ecology,' where respect for human life and wellbeing go hand in hand with environmental protection," he said Nov. 4.
The EPA's Environmental Justice 2020 Action Agenda builds on its 2014 effort to integrate "environmental justice considerations" into all its agency programs. It aims to strengthen the agency's collaboration with partners and "demonstrate progress on significant national challenges facing minority and low-income communities."